Hot water heater



NVENTOR.

. BY 4:2 ATTO l RNEY J. HILEMAN AHOT WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 2o, 1936 May 16, 1939.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITE STATES ATENT FFICE.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Water heaters and it is among the objects thereof to provide a heater of the socalled side-arm type especially adapted for use with hot water storage tanks which shall be of simple and durable construction and highly efflcient in the absorption of heat generated by the burner therebeneath.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hot water heater embodying a plurality of vertically disposed pipes with their axes in parallel relation, which pipes are joined at intervals to a plurality of helically formed heat absorption ns, which are joined thereto as by welding.

Further objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of the heater housing showing the water pipes and fins in elevation;

Fig. 2 a cross-sectional View of a flow distributing manifold at the top of the heating tubes taken along the line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a cross-sectional View of a ow distributing manifold at the bottom of the heater pipes taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 a plan View of a fin before it is helically formed in the manner of Fig. l.

With reference to the several figures of the drawing, the structure therein illustrated comprises a heater housing I having a top 2 with an outlet 3 for the products of combustion, the heater housing I being further provided with a base 4 in which a burner generally designated by the numeral 5 is supported. The burner is provided with jets 6 through which the fuel is supplied to the combustion space immediately above the burner and the jets 6 communicate with the fuel chamber I leading to a mixing chamber 8 of a pipe having a threaded opening 9 for receiving the gaseous fuel connection,

The present invention has to do with the construction of the water heating element which consists of an upper and lower ow distributing manifold I and II, respectively, having openings I2 for receiving brass tubes or pipes I3. The manifolds may be provided with threaded ends I4 and I which constitute inlets and outlets, respectively, for Water 110W connection through the manifolds and the vertically disposed pipes I3. The center of the manifolds IIl and I I are adapted to receive a relatively large pipe I6 which extends vertically between the manifolds, there being six additional smaller pipes I3 connected across the manifolds as is apparent from the openings I2, Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Assembled around pipes I3 and I6 are a plurality of sheet metal ns I'I provided with elongated perforations I8 and a central opening I9 as shown in Fig, 4. The ns are assembled by extending the pipesV I3 and I6 therethrough, and they are then extended to form a plurality of superposed helices as shown in Fig. 1, there being four of such ns shown for purpose of illustration only, the fins being numbered I'I, I'I, I'I" and I'I"l respectively.

When the ns Il, Il', Il and I'I" are extended in the form of helices as shown in Fig. l, the openings I8 snugly engage the exterior of pipes I3, and the central opening IS the pipe IB, and when so assembled they are Welded or brazed to the pipes I3 and I6 along their edge of contact as for example the edge 2t, Fig. l. In operation, the above-described heater functions as follows:

If used in conjunction with a hot water heating system, connection I5 is made to the bottom of a hot water storage tank and connection I4 to the top of the tank. The products of combustion from the heater 5 pass upwardly againstV the bottom manifold II, thence they are directed in helical paths upwardly in contact with the ns I'I that absorb the maximum amount of heat from the products of combustion which is conducted to the water heating pipes I3 and I6, the hot Water rising vertically in the pipes to the manifold I0, passing through the connection I4 into the storage tank or to a point of use as the case may be. Also the connection of the heater to the tank may be such that heated water circulates from the bottom manifold through the `connection to the storage tank or is drawn directly from the heater pipe I3 and IS through the bottom manifold and to the storage tank or point of use, depending upon suitable valve arrangements being provided in the heater tank connection, such being no part of the present invention.

By the simple construction of the vertical heater tubes and helical heating i'lns, an eicient exchange of heat is effected that utilizes substantially all of the heat of the products of combustion passing upwardly therearound to the stack outlet 3.

The outer extremities of the helical fins are preferably hot in contact with the heater housing wall to prevent the loss of heat by conduction and through radiation from the heater wall, and the construction shown is further advantageous in that it eliminates scr-called sweating of the heater pipes and heater housing.

Although a form of the invention has been herein illustrated and described employing seven vertical heater tubes and four helically disposed heating fins, it is apparent that various modications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

In a hot water heater, a housing, a nest of pipes Within the housing comprising a relatively large having connections to a source Vof Water supply 5 and to a point of use, a plurality of helically formed sheet metal fins formed integrally with said pipes and constituting iiues for the products of combustion passing longitudinally of said pipes and a burner at one end of the pipes below the 10 said fins.

JAMES HILEMAN. 

